It's a Girl!
by Frankie Beeblebrox
Summary: There have been no girls born into the Weasley clan for several generations, and that's just fine by the men of the family. . . but how will one of them react when he recieves a daughter instead of the son he was expecting?
1. Boys

_**A/N: Hey everyone! Writers block really bites. Luckily, this plot bunny was given to me by the incomparable Jadis LeStrange over at SugarQuill.net. I only hope I can make my newest bunny as happy as her mother did. **_

_**All research (ages, etc) was done at the HP Lexicon. **_

_**  
Please review, as I am unashamedly a review whore. :-) They completely make my day.   
**_

"I wanna see!"  
  
"Move over so I can feel too. . ."  
  
"Shove off, small fry."  
  
"_Muuuuum_, Bill pushed me!"  
  
"Bill, do NOT push your brothers!"  
  
"Sorry, Mum, but Percy's in the way!"  
  
_ "Waaaaaaaaaa!!!!!"  
_  
Molly Weasley looked upon her growing brood of children, a mixture of affection and annoyance fighting for control over her face.   
  
"Hush, love, here. Ron, come here and I'll let you feel the new baby. Charlie, move out of the way so Ron can crawl up here. Come on, boys, budge up there."   
  
The smallest boy toddled over to her and started pulling himself up into what little was left of her lap, using her legs, dress and hair as handholds for his ascent. It was no easy perch for him, as Molly's swollen belly extended well past where he had been accustomed to sit.   
  
Molly took Ron's hand and placed it gently over where the baby had last kicked her. His brothers leaned in closely as he looked quizzically up at her. . . and then grinned with unreserved delight when he felt the tiny life within her.   
  
"Baby?" he asked her timidly.  
  
"Yes, dear. Baby."   
  
He grinned at her again before fussing to be put back on the floor with his brothers. Fred and George lost no time catapulting themselves onto her and placing four chubby hands protectively over her stomach in an attempt to feel their newest sibling.   
  
"Where? Where's a baby?"  
  
"You must be patient, dear, and don't move. . . "  
  
The twins screwed up their faces into identical studies of rapt concentration on her belly. Molly had the oddest sensation that she knew how a crystal ball felt.   
  
She should have known this was coming. All the boys had been like this, ever since Bill noticed she had been pregnant with Charlie. Had that really been twelve years ago?   
  
Not that their father was much help in these matters. He was just as eager, if not more so, for the newest Weasley to join the Burrow. She was certain that if he hadn't been at work, he would have been situated on the floor with the rest of her men, fighting for a chance to feel the baby move. Six births had not dampened his spirits at the prospect of another son. . .   
  
This time it was different, though. It wasn't anything she could point to, but she felt. . . different. She was carrying higher than she had with any of the other boys. She craved sour things instead of the salt or sugar she had sought previously. Well, previously with the exception of Fred and George. Then she had craved odd things like cockroach clusters, ice mice and beetle bites, but even that hadn't felt the same. This time was definitely different for her.   
  
This time, Molly was almost sure she was going to have a girl.   
  
The prospect both thrilled and frightened her. After six sons it would be nice to have a girl in her brood, yet she wasn't sure she would know what to DO with a girl. She had grown up with nothing but brothers and boy cousins, and there hadn't been a Weasley girl in umpteen generations, as everyone in the family knew. Even Bill and Charlie had reminded her the odds of having a girl were slim to none when she had first started calling the baby 'she'.   
  
Molly, however, became more and more certain each day.   
  
She looked down to her left sleeve, where five year old Percy was tugging and looking owlishly up at her through his horn-rimmed spectacles. "C'n I feel the baby too, Mummy?"   
  
"Of course you can, dear. Ask the other boys to move so you may."  
  
"C'n I please feel Mummy's stomach?"  
  
"No. We were here first," George intoned. Fred stuck his tongue out at his older brother before directing his attention back onto the matter at hand.  
  
Molly could just see Percy squaring his shoulders indignantly from the corner of her eye. "Boys! You apologize to your brother right now. It's his turn to feel the new baby kick."  
  
"We're sorry, Percy" they intoned, George rolling his eyes towards the ceiling and Fred staring sullenly at Percy. Percy looked as smug as the cat who caught the knarl.   
  
"Bill, Charlie, please take your brothers outside. I would appreciate it if you would weed and de-gnome the garden. Just give Ron a couple of radishes to play with and he'll be fine out there with you. Percy will be out to help shortly. "  
  
With a mumbled "yes'm" they all tumbled out the door, leaving her middle child behind. She took his hands in hers and placed them on her stomach tenderly.   
  
When he felt the kick, he looked at her in awe. "So. . . that's my little brother in there?"   
  
"Or sister. It could be a girl."  
  
"Or sister," he corrected himself. After another moment, Percy looked down again. "It would be nice to have a sister."  
  
Molly felt her heart swell a bit for this young man in front of her. "You wouldn't mind a sister instead of a brother?"   
  
"No," he said with conviction. " I would like to have a sister. I have already got a bunch of brothers, but I never had a sister before. It would be nice to have one."  
  
"Good. Now, go outside and help the others with the garden, please."  
  
"Yes, Mum!" He reached up and pecked her on the cheek before heading out the door.   
  
Molly looked fondly after him before glancing up at the clock. It was odd seeing the blank hand where the newest Weasley would be inscribed. Right now it was at "Sleeping", which was fine with her. Arthur was still "Hard At Work"  
  
but would be home soon and would be hungry.   
  
Resigned to the fact that seven hungry men would not stand for cold cerealfor dinner, she sighed a bit before lurching out of the chair and waddling into the kitchen. While preparing the rolls for dinner, she snacked on a few lemons.   
  
Oh yes. She was going to be having a girl. Arthur would just have to get used to the idea.


	2. Men

**_A/N: Thanks for reading again! No, I don't own any of it. Darn. Ah well. All dates are stolen from either the Forums at Sugarquill.net or the Harry Potter Lexicon.   
_**  
_ ". . . and that was Andromache Syren, singing You Charmed Me! Now, a look at the weather. We couldn't have asked for a better weekend! Sunny and warm, with a slight chance of showers this evening, but not to worry, it should be clear skies all day Sunday for the Summer Solstice. . .. "  
_  
Molly hummed along absently with the wireless as she sifted the dry ingredients for some biscuits into a mixing bowl. The boys were still outside, challenging each other on how far they could fling gnomes out of the garden.   
  
Bill, being the tallest and strongest, was the best at long distance tosses, but Charlie was excellent at catching them before they could dive into their underground sanctuaries. Even the younger boys were helping with the fracas. Percy was pointing out which gnome holes hadn't been searched yet, while Fred and George raised enough ruckus to bring out the dead, let alone entice a few gnomes into coming above ground. Ron just pointed and laughed at the whole situation, toddling around the garden after the gnomes Charlie missed.   
  
Molly watched out the kitchen window for a few moments, patting her extended stomach with her free hand and smiling to herself. "Just three more weeks before you can come out to play now," she said softly to the tiny life growing within her. "I wonder if you'll enjoy playing with your brothers? Will you like to play in the mud with Fred and George? Will you run after the strange animals Charlie keeps bringing home? Or will you be too feminine to play with your brothers. . . my little china doll to pet and dress up?"  
  
"Who on earth are you talking to?"  
  
Molly wheeled from her reverie, covering her husband's trousers with flour in the process. "Oh, Arthur, I am so sorry! Merlin's Beard, you should know by now not to sneak up on me like that! Here, let me clean you up. . ._scourgify_."  
  
Arthur leaned into his wife and brushed a bit of flour off of her own nose before planting a tender kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to startle you. Who were you speaking to when I walked in?"   
  
"I was talking to myself a bit. Dinner should be ready in a few moments. Do you want to call one of the boys to come and set the table?"  
  
Arthur looked out at his sons. "No, they look like they're having a ball. Let them play for a few more moments. Maybe they'll all wear themselves out and go to bed early!"   
  
"When, in the last thirteen years, has that ever happened?"  
  
"Well, a man can dream, can't he?" He sidled up behind Molly and placed his arms around her, eyebrows waggling suggestively.   
  
"Oh, stop," she scolded lightly, batting him with a towel. "If you don't want to interrupt the boys, you can set the table yourself. Dinner should be ready any minute now."   
  
She giggled at her husband as he sighed audibly before heading off to do her bidding. She turned back to the scattered biscuit mix and began cleaning up. "How are things in the office? Did you figure out what happened with the toaster?"  
  
"The one that kept spitting flaming toast at everyone? No, I didn't get to do much work with it today. We had another cursed tea set come in and a few boxes of suspect jewelry. Mad Eye has definitely kept me busy lately. I never knew there were so many cursed items in existence!"  
  
"Mmm. . . I suspect you'll be seeing those for quite a while now, Arthur. I am assuming all these items belong to. . .people. . . who are in Azkaban now?"  
  
"Yes. They certainly have an interesting array of items bent on Muggle torture. Sad, really the lack of understanding between us." Arthur looked almost pensive for a moment, before turning his smile onto her again. "Let's talk about something else for now. How's the wee one doing?"  
  
"Hungry." Molly answered with a grin. "I've been snacking on lemons all day."  
  
"So I see! I'll have to pick you up some more tomorrow before I come home. Oh, I thought of some names this afternoon."  
  
"Did you now?" Well, this should be interesting.   
  
"Yes, I did. Personally, I like Maximilian, but I know how you feel about your great uncle, so it might be nice to name him Perseus after him. Daedalus wouldn't be a bad name, but then Diggle would probably think I was naming the boy after him, and then I'd never hear the end of it. Hmmm. . . . maybe Jason? I don't know. What do you think, Molly?"   
  
She looked at him for a few moments in silence before answering. "What if we have a girl?"  
  
Arthur laughed aloud at her. "Molly, I have told you a hundred times. We won't have a girl. We can't have a girl."  
  
Oh really? "And why, praytell, can we _not_ have a girl?"  
  
"Good genetics. Weasley men don't have daughter's. Haven't had one in thirteen generations. . . we have sons." He failed to notice the narrowing eyes that were glaring daggers at him.   
  
"Do you think a daughter would be somehow less important than a son?" she asked him quietly. He was still grinning like a maniac, completely unaware of the anger seething through her veins.   
  
"Now, don't be silly Molly. I like girls fine. I married you, didn't I?" he teased her lightly. "I just think it's stupid to consider having a daughter when I know for a fact I won't."   
  
Molly couldn't believe the smug certainty on the face of the man before her. "Stupid? Stupid?!" She could feel the child inside her kicking in righteous indignation as well. "You think my intuition is stupid?!?"  
  
The smile suddenly ran away from Arthur's face as he viewed the angry behemoth that stood where his sweet and loving wife had been a moment before. "Now Molly, no! I never said that. . . "  
  
"Yes, you did, you just called me stupid!"  
  
"I did no such thing!"  
  
"Yes, you said I was stupid for even thinking our child could be a girl!"  
  
"Well, Mum, he has a point you know. Odds are definitely against you on this one. Hasn't been a Weasley-ette in the family for a hundred years or more," Bill chimed in. Molly wheeled around to see all six of her boys crammed into the doorway and staring at the bickering couple. It was all too much for her.  
  
To the sheer horror of every male in the vicinity, she did the last thing any of them were expecting. She dissolved into tears.   
  
"Mum!"  
  
"Molly, what on earth. . . "  
  
"Daddy, why is Mummy crying?"  
  
_"Waaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"_   
  
Molly sank to the floor in a heap, pulling a screaming Ron onto the last vestiges of her lap in the process. "Arthur, I'm sorry I yelled, but I really do think we're going to have a girl, and, and I don't know what to do with a girl, and I'm so scared. . . "  
  
Arthur looked from his distraught wife to his terrified children with an amalgamation of sympathy and terror. No matter how many times over he was a father, the emotions of a pregnant woman would always be a challenge. Molly continued to cradle Ron on the floor while Fred and George looked ready to burst into tears any minute.   
  
"Boys. . . I think we could all use a bit of fresh air this evening. Percy, grab some silverware for everyone and take it out under the willow tree. Fred, George, please take a few old blankets from the cupboard and spread them out. Bill, Charlie, you'll be in charge of bringing out the food."  
  
"What are you gonna do, Daddy?" Fred asked his father.   
  
Charlie looked at both of his parents and started herding the younger boys out of the room. "Shut up, Alfred. C'mon, lets go."  
  
With a loud snuffle, Molly raised her head enough to see Charlie reach down to collect Ron from her and then lead the rest of the boys out of the kitchen. Arthur knelt down beside her and stroked her hair.   
  
"Is that what this is about, love? You're scared?"   
  
Molly looked up at him with a sigh. "Partly. Arthur, I know I am going to have a girl. I'm almost certain of it. . . but I've never had a girl before, and I don't know how to handle one. I know that sounds ludicrous, but every child I have ever tended has been male. How will I know what to do?"  
  
Arthur took her head in both of his hands and kissed her forehead gently. "Molly, I love you. You're a wonderful mother. I think you could give birth to a unicorn and know exactly what to do. I just don't think you have anything to worry about. . . Darling, you know we're going to have a son. That's just the way it's always been. Now come and eat something. I'm sure you and the little one will feel better after you do."  
  
She glanced up at him through a watery haze and nodded assent before he helped her ungainly form off the floor. "I love you too, Arthur. With all my heart. I just think you should be prepared. . . just in case. There might be some changes to the Weasley family tr. . . " she couldn't finish the sentence through the shock of pain that wracked her body.   
  
"Molly? Molly! What's wrong?!"  
  
She looked down upon her soaking dress and almost doubled over as another contraction drove through her body.   
  
"Arthur," she gasped out. "Call the mediwitch. . . I think I'm going into labor!" 


	3. Women

**_A/N: Suspense! Cliffhangers! And Stuff!_**

"What?! Now? You're not due for another three or four weeks!"  
  
"Yes, Arthur, I know that. . . and you know that. . . but the baby obviously hasn't been informed of this fact!" Molly took a deep breath and tried, gingerly, to straighten up to a standing position. "Now, please help me upstairs to the bedroom and call the Mediwitch."  
  
Arthur stared at his wife for a few moments, obviously caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events. "Of. . .of course, Molly. But why. . .never mind. Here, grab my arm. . . "  
  
The two lumbered up the stairs towards the small bedroom, stopping intermittently as another contraction coursed through her body. After what seemed like an eternity, Molly sank gratefully down onto the bed with a sigh.   
  
"Don't worry about a thing, Love. I'm sure everything is fine. Just try to relax and I'll go floo the Mediwitch. " Arthur smoothed the hair back from her face and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Just remember to breath. I'll be back in a few moments. "  
  
"Arthur!" she clutched his hand, "Arthur, what about the children? Mum is still away on Holiday, and I don't know who else we could get to watch them. . ."  
  
"Don't worry about a thing. I'll ask Bill to mind the younger ones, and I'll pop in occasionally to make sure everything is in order. You just rest and think about the job you have to do."  
  
Kissing his wife one more time, Arthur sprinted down the steps and over to the floo, hurling flames into the hearth with his wand in one hand and throwing Floo Powder into the flames with the other. "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward!" he shouted, thrusting his head into the inferno.   
  
It was very sterile, as most hospitals are. Sterile and seemingly bereft of any type of life. "Hello? Hello?! "   
  
"This is a recording. All of our medical staff is busy at the moment, but if you would like to leave your name, Floo location, and a brief message, someone will return to your fire a quickly as we are able. If this is an emergency, please stay in the fire, keep yelling, and someone will arrive shortly. "   
  
"Hello?!! HELLO?!" Arthur was trying, and failing, to keep the panic from his voice now. "MY WIFE IS IN LABOR!!! HELLOO?!"  
  
"Dad! What's going on?" Bill's voice came from the doorway. "We can hear you bellowing all the way down by the tree!"  
  
"It's your mother. She's gone into labor, and I can't find the Mediwitch. Here, stick your head in the fire, keep yelling until someone answers, I'll go tell Charlie to keep an eye on your brothers, and then I have to check on your mother"   
  
An ear-splitting shriek wracked the house as the two looked at each other.   
  
"Maybe I should check on your mother first. . . you just keep yelling for the Mediwitch, and make sure to have them alert Healer Hardwick. She had agreed to come out for the birth. . . I hope she doesn't mind coming early!"  
  
Bill nodded a bit before shoving his head back into the fire and shouting for Healer Hardwick. Arthur barely heard him as he jumped up the stairs two at a time.   
  
"Molly, I am calling. . . what the hell?!" a large book on the herbology of Ireland came sailing past his head, another on arithmancy followed close behind it. He doubled over as a third pummeled his stomach.   
  
"This is all your fault, Arthur Weasley! You were laughing at me, and NOW she's trying to prove you wrong! You couldn't just wait a few more weeks, you HAD to start saying she was going to be a boy. . ."  
  
"Molly, take it easy! I'm calling for Healer Hardwick to come, but we have to find her first. Please stop throwing things at me. Knocking me unconscious isn't going to help anything!"  
  
"IT'LL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!"  
  
"Molly, calm down. I'm going back downstairs to check on the boys. Now, remember to breathe!"  
  
"Oh, I'm breathing alright, you. . . " Arthur shut the door on the tirade he knew was happening behind him. "Healer Hardwick had better get here soon."  
  
"Dad! Dad, I found someone!" Bill's shouts came ringing from the kitchen and Arthur dashed back down the stairs.   
  
"Go check on the others and make sure they're eating something. Don't let Fred or George start a food fight! Hello? Hello?! Where are you?"  
  
He looked frantically around the room before seeing the girl come from behind the desk again. She looked very young, though she was wearing the robes of a certified Mediwitch.   
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Weasley. Your son says your wife is having a baby?"  
  
"Yes, yes, that's correct. She's gone into labor about 3 weeks early, and it's come on very quickly. Is Healer Hardwick there? She was scheduled to help with the delivery later. . ." Arthur tried not t worry. Everything was going to be fine.   
  
"No, she's out on another call at the moment. . . I can come if you like, or if you would rather wait until she returned?"  
  
Arthur could hear the muffled shouts Molly was giving from upstairs. "No, I think you should come. Immediately, if possible. We're here at the Burrow, Weasley's the name."  
  
"Certainly, Mr. Weasley. Give me a few moments to get situated and I'll Apparate in. Can you disable the wards around your house?"  
  
"Sure! Sure, come on in the house. I'll meet you here." He said, relief flooding him like a tide. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Arthur ran outside to disable the wards he had placed around the house, then raced back upstairs to his moaning wife.   
  
"Molly?" he asked hesitantly from the hallway. "Molly, the Mediwitch is on her way. If I open the door are you going to throw anything at me?"  
  
He heard a muffled sob and a muted "no" before walking into the disaster area that was their room.   
  
Everything that had been within her reach had been thrown at the door and windows. Books and papers littered the small room, as well as the remains of a picture of his mother (who was looking indignantly out of the frame) and a small potted plant who had been smashed to bits.   
  
With a few careless flicks of his wand, he straightened the room up and knelt down on the floor next to the bed. "Molly, the Mediwitch should be here any minute now. It'll all be okay, just hang on for a bit."  
  
"I'm sorry, Arthur. I know I shouldn't have thrown everything. I'm sorry I hit you. . . " Molly whimpered, and then squeezed his hand as another contraction hit her.   
  
"Don't worry about a thing, Love, I understand. After five kids, I am used to this. The Mediwitch will be here soon, and everything will be alright." He kissed the palm of her hand lovingly before placing it back on the bed. "I have to go back downstairs and wait for her. Will you be okay until I get back?"  
  
"I'll be fine, Arthur." she replied with a half hearted grin. "It's not as if I can go anywhere."   
  
"Okay. I love you. I'll be back soon."  
  
Arthur sprinted back down the stairs, thinking in the back of his mind that he was getting a better work out than the National Quidditch Team and stopped, panting at the door. The Mediwitch was nowhere in sight.   
  
What was taking her so long?


	4. Doctors

**_A/N: Would you believe me if I said I owned any of it, anyway? Quick chapter, I know.  
  
_** Arthur Weasley paced back. . .and forth. . . and back. . . and forth. . . and back. . .the heads of his sons following his motion like six fiery pendulums. Back. . . and forth. . . and back. . .

"Where in the bloody hell could she be?"  
  
"Daddy, Mummy wouldn't like you swearing." Fred grinned up at his father impishly.   
  
"You know she always yells at us for it!" George chimed in.  
  
"Shut it, you two," Bill warned his brothers. "Though I'm sure Mum is saying much worse right about now." He was proved right a moment later as another incomprehensible scream came from the Burrow.  
  
Arthur glanced worriedly back at the house before continuing his unending circle. "Where could she be? Did she get lost? We are rather isolated. . . maybe she was splinched?" the boys all made faces at the thought. "No. . . but. . . "  
  
Back. . . and forth. . . and back. . . and forth. . . and back. . ..   
  
"Hello? Mr. Weasley? It's Miss Jacobs, from St. Mungo's. . . are you there?" a young voice came from behind the Burrow. Arthur hurtled after the sound as if his life depended on it.   
  
"Thankyousomuchforcomingfollowmeshe'sinlabornowanditsearlyandIdon'tknowwhattodo "  
  
"It's all going to be fine, Mr. Weasley. Breathe! I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
Arthur took a deep breath and tried to explain again. "Molly wasn't due until the end of July, so we're a bit nervous about this one. Please, I'll show you up to the room. Bill! Watch your brothers, and the rest of you lot, mind what he says."  
  
He strode off towards the house like a man on a mission, not even waiting to see that the Mediwitch followed.   
  
"Mr. Weasley, I know you're addled, but PLEASE slow down, my legs aren't that long!" she cried from behind him. Sheepishly, he turned and waited for her to catch up with a mumbled "Sorry."  
  
"Quite alright," she replied. "I understand your agitation completely. . .Now, you said she wasn't due until late July. . . have your other children come early as well?"  
  
"No. Well, not this much. Bill and Charlie were about 3 days early. Fred, George and Ron were all late. Percy was right on time. Will it effect my son? Being born this early?"  
  
"It might, but I don't think it will be anything untoward. Babies are born prematurely quite frequently, you know. You know the sex of the child already? Did Healer Hardwick do some tests?" she said quizzically.   
  
"No, nothing like that. I just know it's going to be a boy. No Weasley women born into the family in ages, and all that."  
  
The Mediwitch, Miss Jacobs a voice in his head supplied, stared at him with an unreadable expression. "I see. Well, I'm sure everything will be fine."   
  
Arthur led her up the stairs and knocked softly on the door. "Molly, love? I have the Mediwitch here for you. . . we're coming in. . . "   
  
The door creaked open slowly and the most heavenly vision Molly had ever seen walked through her door wearing St. Mungo's white.   
  
"Mrs. Weasley? Hello, I am Miss Jacobs. Healer Hardwick was on another call, so I shall be assisting you. How are you feeling?" she asked primly.   
  
"Well, I could be a bloody sight better, I'm sure," Molly snipped. "I have a small erumpant in my body that is just dying to come and say hello."  
  
A glimmer of a smile crossed Miss Jacobs' face before she started pulling out an odd array of instruments from her small bag. "Mr. Weasley, I will need some space to set up my equipment. Is there a table I might use? Or a desk?"  
  
"How about the dresser? It's close and I can clean it off quickly," he said, not even waiting for her reply before he started magicking items off the surface and onto the floor. "I can move it closer if you would like."  
  
"No, that's fine, thank you. Did you want to stay in here for the birth, or would you rather wait outside?"  
  
One of the items he had just transferred from the dresser to the floor zoomed past his ear with a vengeance not usually known to inanimate objects as Molly screamed in pain again. Miss Jacobs looked at Arthur and the shattered bit of kitsch at his feet.   
  
"Maybe it would be better if I wait outside? I. . . I can check on the boys." Arthur started to make his way, warily towards the door.  
  
"An excellent idea, Mr. Weasley," she replied. Molly howled like a banshee. "If we need anything, I shall call upon you."   
  
Arthur ducked out the door as another object sailed in his direction. Somehow, he felt infinitely safer when he wasn't within the trajectory range of Molly's missiles.   
  
Suddenly, all noise behind the bedroom door stopped, as if someone had turned off the wireless. Panic welled up inside his brain until he realized the Mediwitch must have cast a silencing charm on the room.   
  
Clever, that. Keep the children from hearing anything that might scare them.   
  
Keep him from hearing anything that might scare him.   
  
"Pull yourself together, Arthur. Everything is going to be fine. Just fine. Now straighten up and go eat some dinner. There's nothing else you can do up here" the little voice inside his head told him. Thinking that a rather reasonable excuse to flee the premises, he bolted for the safety of dinner with his sons.


	5. Dreams

**_A/N: It's mine. . . my own. . . my precious. . .   
No. Sorry, wrong story. Not mine. Not mine in the least. Really.  
_**

"Is there a baby yet?"  
  
"No, Fred. Not yet."  
  
"Oh."  
  
". . . How about now?"  
  
"No, George. It's going to take a while."  
  
"Oh. . . Hmpf."  
  
". . . How about now?"  
  
"No, Fred, you probably won't see your new brother until morning. Now, go back to bed."  
  
"But Dad! What if we miss it? What if he comes while we're asleep?"  
  
"Yeah! That's not very nice, not even being around to say 'welcome to the family'. What if he gets mad at us for being mean?"  
  
Arthur couldn't help but grin at the logic of a couple of three year olds. "It will all be fine, boys. I am sure your new brother will understand completely. Now, go back to bed."  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"_Now_, George. Bedtime was two hours ago. Off with you."  
  
Sullenly, the twins climbed back up the winding staircase to their bedroom. Arthur could hear them complaining the entire way up, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Probably best in the long run that he couldn't.   
  
Arthur himself was a tad jittery. Molly had been in labor for over three hours now, and while that wasn't a long time by any means, he hadn't really heard anything from Healer Jacobs. Add to this, he had been effectively banned from the room after the third time he poked his head in and something crashed into the wall next to him. Much safer for the skull, he was sure, but much more nerve-wracking.   
  
He picked up an issue of Witch Weekly, leafing absently through the pages. He'd thought about going to work on the Ford again, as Molly was rather indisposed, but he couldn't seem to focus his mind on anything at the moment.   
  
The waiting was always the worst part, and Molly had yet to have a quick delivery. The shortest one by far had been Ron, and he'd taken six hours. "So I wonder when we'll see you, my son."  
  
"Who are you talking to, Dad?" Bill's voice came floating down the staircase.   
  
"No one, just thinking aloud. What are you doing up, Bill my boy? You should be heading to bed yourself."  
  
"Oh sure. Two days back from Hogwarts, Mum goes into labor a month early, I am about to have another sibling, and you expect me to sleep?! Are you mad?" he grinned at his father before flopping down on the sofa next to him. "Might as well ask yourself why you're not asleep."  
  
"I know, I know. Just trying to keep things in line while Molly is out of commission. I can just imagine her expression if she finds out you boys stayed up to see the new baby."  
  
"I think I heard them say 'new baby'," Arthur heard one of the twins whisper from the stairwell. "Should we risk it?"  
  
"Sure," an identical voice answered. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I'd say it's close to morning."  
  
Arthur grinned at his oldest son before turning his attention back on the twins. "It is _not _near morning, it's only been fifteen minutes. Now go back to bed before you wake up your brothers."  
  
"But Daaaaad. . . "  
  
"No. Back to bed!"  
  
"Wait. . . did someone say the baby was here?" Charlie's voice added to the commotion from the stairwell.  
  
"Well, we thought so, but Dad says. . . "  
  
"What's going on? It's not morning, is it?" Percy added with a yawn.  
  
"Boys! Come down here for a moment. And don't wake up Ron!"  
  
Four crimson heads peeped around the corner of the stairway before shuffling in front of their father.   
  
"Now then. The baby has _not_been born yet. It won't be here for another few hours, at least, which is a lot longer than the time you just waited," he looked pointedly at the twins at that comment. "I promise, I'll wake you all up so you can meet your new brother when he gets here, but for the time being, go back to bed. _Now_."  
  
"Yes, Dad." they mumbled as they shuffled out of the living room. When they were around the corner, Bill turned to his father with a great yawn.   
  
"I should probably get to bed, too. I know you'll need someone to help out around the house since Mum'll be out of commission for a bit. Watching the twins is a full time job in itself!" he threw an arm around his father in a half hug. "Don't fret, Dad, it'll all work out. Mum's been toughened up, living with us for so long, and any brother in this family has to be stubborn. It'll be fine, you'll see."  
  
"Thank you, Bill. Good night." Arthur watched Bill head up the stairs, picking up a hiding George in one arm and a running Fred in the other on his way around the corner. It was an odd feeling, being comforted by his son, but it was all the more appreciated for it's uniqueness.   
  
Arthur was worried, but Bill was right. Everything would be fine, and the new baby would be even hardier than the others for wanting to come out early.   
  
He sat back on the couch amid dreams of his youngest sons future accomplishments. . . Prefect. . . Head Boy. . . Seeker for Gryffindor. . . He could be the greatest Weasley Hogwarts had ever seen.


	6. Girls

**_A/N: Wanted to thank Jadis LeStrange over at the Sugarquill once again for letting me adopt this wonderful little plot bunny from her.   
No, it's still not mine, but I am very happy you came to read._**

"Mr. Weasley? Mr. Weasley?" Arthur could feel someone shaking his shoulder, but couldn't figure out what on earth they were looking for. He settled with a reply of "Not just now, thanks," and rolled back over into his comfy sofa.   
  
Now that was odd. Why was he on the sofa? Shouldn't he be in bed with Molly? Molly. . .

"I'm up! I'm up. Is everything okay? What happened? I must have drifted off. How's Molly?" he said in a rush as reality came crashing into his brain.   
  
Healer Jacobs grinned broadly at him, which startled him even more. It was the most emotion he had seen out of the woman since he had called at St. Mungo's yesterday. "She's fine. She's just fine. In fact, they both are in perfect condition. Well, I am sure Molly's a bit spent, but the baby's doing wonderfully."  
  
"Then he's been born? Oh good! May I go see them? I want to check on Molly before I wake his brothers. Why are you grinning like that?"  
  
She looked like a Cheshire cat, and her grin was getting bigger every minute he talked. "No reason, Mr. Weasley. Come along upstairs, I am sure you're very anxious to meet the newest member of the family."  
  
He followed her dutifully up the stairs, wishing with every fiber of his being that she would hurry. "Here they are Mr. Weasley. Mother and daughter are doing beautifully. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to the hospital. We're terribly understaffed at the moment. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."  
  
Molly looked absolutely beautiful, her face glowing with a kind of nervously angelic aura. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and his son was. .

. . . wait a moment, hadn't she said. . .   
  
"Uh, beg pardon Healer Jacobs, but what did you just say?"  
  
If possible, her grin widened even more. "I told you that Mother and Daughter are doing much better than expected."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"Oh, Arthur," Molly had tears shining in her eyes. "We've had a girl. We have a little daughter, and she's. . . she's beautiful. She's absolutely perfect."  
  
Arthur knew he was gaping like a goldfish out of water, but couldn't comprehend any way to keep from doing it. "We. . . a girl? Are. . .are you sure?!"  
  
Healer Jacobs laughed out loud and even Molly gave a watery giggle. "Yes, Mr. Weasley. I can assure you, I am fairly certain you and your wife have a daughter. Congratulations. Now, please, excuse me. I must be getting back to St. Mungo's." she slipped out the door, leaving Arthur alone with his wife and his. . .daughter.   
  
His daughter. _His_ _daughter_.   
  
Molly was still gazing at the tiny bundle in her arms adoringly as he sat down gingerly on the bed next to her. "Is it true? I mean. . . a daughter?"  
  
She giggled again before handing him the small, warm weight. "Yes, it is. Arthur, meet your daughter. I know we haven't thought of any names for a girl yet. . . "  
  
"And all this time, you knew. I never believed you, but you knew. I have a daughter. " He looked intently on her small body. She was absolutely tiny, and perfectly formed, from the teeny nails on her hand, to the shock of strawberry hair on her head. "She's absolutely beautiful, Molly. Absolutely beautiful." He smiled with unabashed delight when she opened her eyes a teeny bit at him and let out a contented sigh before going back to sleep. Arthur could just see that her eyes were brown.   
  
"So," Molly interrupted his reverie again. "I know we haven't really discussed names as we weren't expecting a girl."  
  
"Liar," Arthur grinned at her. "You knew all along this would happen. What name did you have in mind, love?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking we could name her Ginevra, after the last woman born into the Weasley family." Molly hesitated a moment, looking for a reaction from him. "I know, it's terribly old fashioned, but. . . "  
  
"I love it." Arthur replied softly, moving a stray wisp of hair from Ginevra's cheek. It was like touching the finest silk. "Ginevra Molly Weasley. It's perfect."  
  
"Molly? Why do you want to give her my name as well? I was thinking your mother's name or. . . "  
  
"Because," he replied, gazing adoringly at his wife. "You were the only one to have faith in her."  
  
"Oh. . .oh Arthur, I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Molly," he placed Ginevra into her mother's arms carefully and gently kissed each of them. "and I love you, Ginevra. I think I should go wake up her brothers, though. I promised I would let them know when she was born."  
  
"She?!" came a shriek from the hallway. "We have a Sister?!? Fred! Fred, Mum was right, it's a GIRL!"  
  
"So much for having to wake them. I think George beat you to it." Molly quipped. Sure enough, all six boys hurtled into the small bedroom with enough force to wake the ghoul in the attic. Ginevra looked politely puzzled by all the commotion.  
  
"This is her? This is the new baby?"  
  
"She's so tiny! I'd forgotten baby's were that small."  
  
"That's because Ron and the twins weren't ever that small, Charlie."   
  
"C'n we play with her, Mum? I think she'd like gnomes!"  
  
"No, my dears." Molly said fondly. "She won't be doing much but sleeping for a while yet, but when she has grown a bit, I am sure she'll love to play with all of you."  
  
"What's her name, Mummy?" Percy asked from the end of the bed.   
  
"Ginevra Molly Weasley."  
  
"That's going to be quite a mouthful for the small ones, Mum." Charlie grinned at her. "But it is a very pretty name."  
  
Ron had pulled himself up onto the bed next to his sister and was poking her blanket as she stared at him. "Baby?" he asked Molly.  
  
"Yes, dear. That's the new baby. Ginevra."  
  
Ron looked down at her for a few seconds before planting a sloppy kiss on her forehead and saying "Bye, Ginny!" and climbing back down onto the floor.   
  
"Come, boys. Let's give your mother and. . .Ginny. . . some time to rest. How about I make breakfast?"   
  
All six of the older Weasley men came over to kiss their new sister on the cheek and hug Molly before herding downstairs into the kitchen. Arthur was the last to leave the room.   
  
"I love you, Molly Weasley," he said, kissing her tenderly on the lips. "And you, Ginny. Now, get some rest. I'll bring you up something to eat later, once you've slept a bit."   
  
"Thank you, Arthur. I love you so much. Ginny and I both do"  
  
"Rest now, darling." he said, closing the door with one last look at his wife and daughter. He stopped for a moment with his head pressed against the hallway wall. "I have a daughter. Ginevra Molly Weasley is MY daughter." He chuckled with a quiet gaiety as he made his way down the stairs towards the kitchen.   
  
"A daughter. Wait until I tell the rest of the family."


End file.
